A DONALD Trump supporter with Irish roots who was among those present at the Capitol riots believes she “deserves” a presidential pardon because she was only “following orders”.
Texas realtor Jenna Ryan flew to Washington DC on a private jet, charting her journey and involvement in the unrest on social media.
A radio host and life coach, Ryan also live-streamed from the insurrection, posing in front of a broken window in one picture shared on social media.
Now she is facing multiple charges, according to Fox News, after the FBI were able to track her involvement through the posts shared online.
She was arrested on Friday but is now calling on Trump to intervene on her behalf, telling KTVT she is a “normal person” who was simply doing what the president told her to do.
According to Ryan she was just demonstrating her “patriotism”.
"I listen to my president who told me to go to the Capitol,"” she said.
"I wasn’t trying to do anything violent and I didn’t realise there was actually violence."
She called on the president to pardon her and all those involved in the unsavoury scenes.
"I think we all deserve a pardon. I’m facing a prison sentence," Ryan said.
Ryan urged the public not to cast her in the role of “villain” because she was “a Trump supporter at the Capitol.”
BREAKING: “I thought I was following my president. I thought I was following what we were called to do. He asked us to fly there. So I was doing was he asked us to do.”
That’s TX realtor Jenna Ryan who was arrested today by FBI after being at the D.C. riotpic.twitter.com/UV9KoviY7M— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) January 16, 2021
The remarks stand in stark contrast with the ones Ryan previously posted on social media in the lead-up to events on January 6th.
In one tweet, she appeared to brag about her involvement in the violent clashes, tweeting: “We just stormed the capital. It was one of the best days of my life.”
She also livestreamed her walk to Capitol Hill on the fateful day of the violent clashes, commenting: “All these working class people taking the week off … We flew here for freedom. They want to steal the election, they want to steal everything.”
“We the people are pissed off," she continued.
"We flew by a private jet, God wanted us here today. Trump is my president.”
Ryan also went on to declare the march as “a prelude going to war" and at one point was filmed saying they were "armed and dangerous".
I didn’t see this until now: Dallas area realtor & life Coach Jenna Ryan declared “we are armed and dangerous”. She’s since been arrested by the FBI and is now asking President Trump for a pardon, saying he’s the reason they went there to “stop the steal” pic.twitter.com/vkNivhKj7O
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) January 16, 2021
Later, she posted next to a broken window, alongside the threat: “Window at The capital. And if the news doesn’t stop lying about us we’re going to come after their studios next."
Ryan flew by private jet to Washington DC, documenting her journey in a series of tweets.
In one she posted a picture of herself on the tarmac next to the plane, writing: “Hopping on a plane heading to DC #MarchToSaveAmerica #stopthesteal."
Another saw her posing with fellow Trump supporters on the jet. In another video clip, she told fans: “We’re gonna go down and storm the Capitol. They’re down there right now and that’s why we came.”
Ryan was also interviewed by Spectrum News on the day of the insurrection, telling one reporter she was entering the Capitol because of the “election rig.”
“It’s not necessarily about taking over the Capitol, it’s about, ‘We the people own this building,’” she said.
Ryan later posed for a selfie wearing a Trump 2020 hat with the Capitol building in the background.
Five people died in the ensuing riot. So far 100 people have been arrested while law enforcement officials in the US are seeking another 100 suspects.
A threat to the media pic.twitter.com/eTKqvTfYCx
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) January 16, 2021
Ryan’s social media posts prompted the FBI to issue an arrest warrant.
She has been charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."
Ryan also revealed on Twitter that her publisher had cancelled the release of her self help book which was due to be released in February 2021.
Trump has yet to response to the multiple requests for presidential pardons made by his supporters following a string of arrests.
The surname Ryan is derived from the old Irish name Rian, which is derived from O’Riain, which is in turn derived from the name O’Mulriain.
Sources suggest it means little king or illustrious.
According to John Ryan, Professor of Early and Medieval History at University College Dublin, "Rian, like Niall, seems to be so ancient that its meaning was lost before records began."
The Ryans originate out of west Ireland and their roots back to a 9th-century chieftain called Maelruain whose descendants took the name O’Maelruain.
